Following the disappointment of relegation to the intermediate ranks at the end of 2007, the message coming from Cluskey Park in 2008 is that St Josephs have most definitely turned things around and are looking forward to a very bright future. With a very youthful and talented squad at their disposal, St Josephs are optimistic that the good times will return, while the plans for development at the club indicate that the Dromiskin/Darver outfit is very much on the up. It is just over two years since the Joes won the Louth Senior Championship title after a magnificent victory over St Patrick's, but with many of that team moving on, the focus of the club is now building for the future. Aidan Gorham, who acted as manager in 2008, along with Enda McKeown and Thomas McNamee, believes that on the evidence of this year the prospects for the club are good with a lot of young players coming through. "We created a bit of unwanted history last year when we were relegated 12 months after winning the Joe Ward Cup. 2007 was very disappointing for us, particularly as the year before had been so good." However, the failure to build on the 2006 success didn't come as a huge surprise given that many of the team were coming to the end of their careers, and at the start of this campaign Aidan points to the fact that three of their mainstays, Ollie McDonnell, Stephen Melia and Enda McKeown were unavailable for the team. It wasn't all bad news for the club as they were aware of an exciting crop of young players coming through and while the manager concedes that as it will take a couple of years for this new team to mature, this year was all about consolidation. In that regard, he was relatively satisfied with the way things progressed. "Realistically, we probably have a two or three year gap before the young lads settle in at this level, so at the beginning of the year our main objective was to retain our place in Division 1, and then do what we could in the Intermediate Championship. "We began the year with a major change in personnel and there were only three or four of the 2006 team remaining. We also lost Thomas and Cian Smith to injury, while Conal O'Hanlon, a son of Kevin and a very good prospect, was also out with a knee problem. "Most of the team was only around 20 years old, with a few experienced heads such as David Reilly, Mark Gorham and Declan O'Sullivan still around. The problem is that we didn't have many in the crucial mid to late 20s mark, but we are confident that the mix will get better over the next year or two", added Aidan. Despite the lack of experience, Aidan was very pleased with the attitude of the players and how the team performed overall. "We brought Thomas McNamee in for pre-season training and it was great to see the players putting in a big effort. Thoms then joined on a more permanent basis and it worked well overall as he brought a new voice and new techniques", said Aidan who felt that those efforts paid dividends over the course of the season. "The season started slowly for us but we were happy to be playing good football and the players began to realise they could compete at this level. We turned in a number of very good performances and were delighted to secure our place in the division with two or three games left." Aidan admits that when it came to the Intermediate Championship, they began with low expectations but ended up being disappointed with the manner in which they made their exit at the knock-out stages. "When the draw was made after Christmas our section was very strong as all the teams had played senior football in the past two years. Our first objective was to get through the group stages and after achieving that we were very disappointed to go out to the O Raghallaighs in the quarter-final. "We felt we should have done better in that game and despite not being at our best we still only lost with the last kick of the game and the reality was that they took their chances, while we didn't. Despite this setback, Aidan feels that St Joseph's are in a very strong position and he is hoping that they will continue to progress over the coming seasons. He appreciates that it will take a lot of hard work to bring develop the young players into talented adult footballers, but points out that there is a determination within the club to succeed. "We have a lot to play for at St Joseph's but there is plenty of talent that needs to be developed. For example, our minor team is expected to be strong next year, while we were thrilled to see the U-16 team won the league title for the first time. "Overall, things are looking up but it is up to us to make sure those young lads bridge the gap from juvenile to adult level. We see other clubs with excellent underage structures, so we have to try to match that. "We face a lot of challenges ahead but in 2009 our main objective will be to retain our place in Division 1 and to do well in the Intermediate Championship. That should give the players the experience they need and help bring the good times back to the club." This optimistic mood is reflected by Club secretary, Noel Neary, who points to the great work being done at St Joseph's. "We all feel that the Joes club has a bright future ahead, with the new community centre and dressing rooms complete, while the planning of the next phase of work at Cluskey Park will be starting in 2009. "It was also a year of building to the future on the football field. At adult level the majority of players are in their late teens and early twenties. Unfortunately we failed to make it back to the senior championship for 2009 but we secured our senior league status by finishing at the end of season in mid table." Noel points out that the encouraging signs for the club continue with a very healthy underage section producing some very talented footballers who will break into the adult side over the coming years. "At under age we competed in all competitions from minor down to the level were there is approx 60 kids under the age of 10 been coached every Sunday morning. "The highlight of the football year rests with the under16s which won the Division 1 All County League this was a remarkable achievement and the first time the club won this competition." While looking to the future is the main concern of the club, St Joseph's also took time to reflect on one of their great achievements of the past - the 1983 Intermediate Championship victory. That year also saw the club's Junior team win the Ranafast Cup and a special function was held to honour the players who helped achieve that success. Tweet

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